Vekic eclipses Sun at Wimbledon to reach first grand slam semi at 43rd attempt

Vekic eclipses Sun at Wimbledon to reach first grand slam semi at 43rd attempt

Croatian wins ‘tough match’ 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 to make last fourBeaten New Zealander’s ranking will be close to top 50

Good things come to those who wait. In her 43rd grand slam event, 11 and a half years after her debut in a major, Donna Vekic secured a place in her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over Lulu Sun, ending the stunning run of the New Zealand qualifier, whose legs gave out in the third set of a gruelling contest. Vekic hit 11 aces, six double faults – including five in one game as she tried to serve out the second set – before stepping it up in the decider to set up a semi-final against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who beat Emma Navarro in straight sets.

“It was a really tough match, she played unbelievable,” a drained Vekic said, the tears starting to flow. “I feel like she really pushed me to my limits. I felt like I was dying out there, the first two sets, but just kept going, hoping to have a chance and it came in the end.”

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